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Politics & Democracy

"Dirty politics", "Some fat politician", "Politics? What's got into you?", "Don't waste time talking about useless stuff", "Politics sucks!"... These are the responses you would hear if you were to start talking about that dreaded subject - 'Politics'

Now, it's no news that India is a democracy. It has been a democracy for about 63 years or so. But how many of us can truly say that the power of India rests in each one of our hands? How many of us will honestly say that they believe they can make a difference by casting a vote? How many are there who think that they can always DO something for their country? How many know what's happening in the Parliament, that big circular building in New Delhi? My rough estimate is... not many.

India is a democracy. Yes, but what’s a democracy? It’s a system of government where the people make the decisions, where the people are the sovereign, where the people form the government. Abraham Lincoln’s views on democracy were – a government for the people, of the people and for the people. But how can we say with absolute certainty that our country is a democracy when so many people in India feel hopeless and helpless against the numerous bureaucrats and politicians? How can we say that our people are the sovereign when so many have lost their faith in voting? How can we say India is a democracy when so many people shirk at the sound of words like ‘politics’ or ‘MP’?

Let’s firs discuss about the role of politics in democracy. Politics refers to any sort of behavior within civil governments. Let’s say that it also has something to do with cunningness, dodging provisions of the Constitution, arguing in Parliament and trying to protect vote banks. But these are simply natural consequences of a democratic type of Government. There is nothing that can change the situation except political awareness, education and involvement of people. That’s why it’s obvious that the people are the ones who should change, because a leader is but a reflection of who his followers are. Every country always gets the ruler it deserves. It’s like a universal law.

Why the people are the primary reason is a subject which is not often discussed in our households, but should be. No ruler can ever remain in power for long, if the people decide that they deserve someone better to lead them, or that’s how it works in a democratic set up. If the people accept and adjust, even when their leader is a tyrant and an idiot, not even God can save them on their road to serfdom. It just happens that way. We Indians are 1 billion strong. A few of our countrymen, maybe 10,000 have become politicians or bureaucrats. If 1 billion people cannot defeat the corrupt few, then who can? Or rather, what can? The more injustice we tolerate the more injustice will be inflicted on us and that’s why the corruption levels in India have increased, instead of decreasing. When more of us come out and together oppose this vice, it will soon have seen its departure from India and have entered the gates of hell.

Every major invasion and colonization in history should teach us that the strength of a nation lies more in the hearts of people than in its army. When the people decide that it’s time they had a real ruler, no one can stop them. It doesn’t require bloodshed, because there’s nothing that ever came out of violence. Violence is always followed by large scale destruction in not only lives and property, but also in the morality of people. Examples are scattered in abundance in the history of the world.

Today’s people don’t think they can do anything, because no candidate standing on election is fit to be an MP or MLA. But then, what’s stopping YOU from becoming a candidate? A clever man can always win an election through his dexterity. Why such clever men don’t appear in elections is beyond all understanding. It’s just like the confusion as to where all the good people have gone to when they are most needed in India. Either they are hiding under a rock, too afraid to make a noise, or they are no longer present in this once glorious country.

But to save a nation, we don’t have to become politicians. All we need to do is to KNOW… to be AWARE and to CARE enough to QUESTION. People protest for highly trivial and stupid stuff like movie releases, disrespecting statues, etc. But where is everyone when the Government makes a real blunder? Why aren’t there widespread protests because of the CWG fiasco or when the Government proposed amendments to the RTI act or because of the politicians ignoring the North Eastern States? Why do people submit to corruption and other ills plaguing the society? Most of all, why are people now – a – days so ignorant of happenings in the country. Even important stuff like naxalism and AFSPA and RTI remain unknown among so many people. The politicians and others don’t abide by the rules because we don’t know them. They take advantage of our ignorance, indifference and tolerance [or… should I say cowardice?] to continue their rule as business men and criminals in the Indian Government. How else would you explain the 25% Lok Sabha MPs with criminal records or the crorepatis of the Rajya Sabha?

Democracy can never function in a country whose citizens are asleep. So let’s awake and arise to save our country from the ravages of the corrupt. Let’s save India, because… after all, we are together Bharata Bhagya Vidata [dispenser of India's destiny].